Scammers Targeting Tax Returns of Chesterfield Residents

Identity thieves specializing in using social security numbers to steal tax returns have struck Chesterfield again.

Police said two residents reported last week that they received an unpleasant shock when they went to file their returns only to be informed by the IRS that someone had beat them to it. The two incidents occurred on March 4 in 1 Monarch Trace Court and March 12 in the 200 block of Stablestone Drive.

This tax time scam is becoming a growing problem in the U.S. and involves snagging a social security number in order to file a tax return before its legitimate owners can, diverting any tax return to the criminals.

Often individuals won’t know it has happened until they try and file, only to have their electronic return rejected or to receive a letter from the IRS saying it has already been claimed, according to a recent article in Forbes.

This is the third reported case this year, and it probably won't be the last. In 2012, there were about five such cases. Any investigation is handled by the IRS, police said.

It’s a scam that is on the rise nationally, according to the IRS, which received nearly 450,000 cases of identity theft in 2012 and experienced a 72 percent increase in the number of returns identified as potentially fraudulent.

To find tips on protecting yourself and to learn more about what the IRS is doing to combat the problem, visit the agency’s website.